“Ticket holders for the Magic could come in last night,” says Doug Taylor, co-owner of Church Street Entertainment and the new One 80. “It’s a soft opening so we can train the staff.”

Entry into the bar, that is modeled after the rooftop bars in the W Hotels, was limited to 100 people.

“It’s a sophisticated, modern, urbane design motif,” says Taylor.

The soft, controlled openings will continue on event nights only (including tonight for the Barry Manilow concert) through the beginning of February when Taylor is hoping to have the grand opening.

]]>http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/lastcall/2011/01/one-80-has-soft-opening-at-amway-center.html/feed1Amway Center’s Sky Bar scheduled to open Oct. 28http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/lastcall/2010/10/amway-centers-sky-bar-scheduled-to-open-oct-28.html
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/lastcall/2010/10/amway-centers-sky-bar-scheduled-to-open-oct-28.html#commentsThu, 07 Oct 2010 20:09:59 +0000Kelly Fitzpatrickhttp://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/lastcall/?p=1417Sky Bar, the open-air bar located 100 feet up on the top of the new Amway Center’s tower, is scheduled to open on Oct. 28. This is in conjunction with the Orlando Magic season opening game according to Heather Allebaugh, press secretary for Mayor Buddy Dyer.

And it looks like a well-known third party may be operating it.

Church Street Entertainment, the entertainment company that owns Latitudes, Chillers, Big Belly Brewery, Antigua, Rok Room and Ember, is close to finalizing a deal that will put them at the helm of the new bar.

“We are close to an agreement,” says Doug Taylor, co-owner of Church Street Entertainment. “We are continuing negotiations. We don’t have a signed deal yet.”

He says if the bar is ready by the Eagles concert, rescheduled from Oct. 7 to Oct. 26, they will open for that. But right now, the scheduled date if everything goes according to plan is Oct. 28.

]]>http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/lastcall/2010/10/amway-centers-sky-bar-scheduled-to-open-oct-28.html/feed2Fourth of July: Church Street Entertainment parties and specialshttp://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/lastcall/2010/06/fourth-of-july-church-street-entertainment-parties-and-specials.html
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/lastcall/2010/06/fourth-of-july-church-street-entertainment-parties-and-specials.html#commentsWed, 30 Jun 2010 19:41:44 +0000Kelly Fitzpatrickhttp://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/lastcall/?p=1036Chillers, Big Belly and Latitudes, at 33 W. Church Street in downtown Orlando, will have two-for-one specials on all American made beers and liquors on July 4 and no cover starting at 5 p.m. There will be DJs at all three bars. Go to www.churchstreetbars.com for more information.

Ember, at 42 West Central Boulevard in downtown Orlando, will have $10 Buckets of Bud and Bud Light, $4 Seagram’s Sweet Tea Vodka and two-for-one specials on all shots starting at 4 p.m. My buddy Eric’s band, Willtown, will be performing and there is no cover charge. Go to www.emberorlando.com to find out more.

Everyone can drink free at Antiguafrom 10 – 11 p.m. on July 4, otherwise there are $5 Crown Royal and $5 Ciroc Vodka specials. Guest DJs will be spinning and there will be a $10 cover. Antigua is at 41 W. Church Street in downtown Orlando. Go to www.antiguaorlando.com for more information.

]]>http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/lastcall/2010/06/fourth-of-july-church-street-entertainment-parties-and-specials.html/feed0CSE freshens up Latitudes in downtown Orlandohttp://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/lastcall/2010/03/cse-freshens-up-latitudes-in-downtown-orlando.html
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/lastcall/2010/03/cse-freshens-up-latitudes-in-downtown-orlando.html#commentsTue, 09 Mar 2010 23:09:48 +0000Kelly Fitzpatrickhttp://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/lastcall/?p=605Church Street Entertainment is about 80 percent complete on freshening up its bar Latitudes in downtown Orlando. Co-owner Doug Taylor tells me the roof top bar, that’s been in business on Church Street for 11 years, has a whole new paint job, new stools, refurbished tables, new lighting, planters and a new back bar. There are still some more new lighting and planters that need to be put in before the project is complete.

“It’s an improvement on what we already had,” says Taylor. Adding it’s not “radically different.”

Check out the face lift for yourself this Wednesday when the SBK Live crew, from 104.1 FM, starts its new after-show party at the bar at 11:30 p.m.

]]>http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/lastcall/2010/03/cse-freshens-up-latitudes-in-downtown-orlando.html/feed0New Year's Eve fireworks in Orlandohttp://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/lastcall/2009/12/new-years-eve-fireworks-in-orlando.html
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/lastcall/2009/12/new-years-eve-fireworks-in-orlando.html#commentsThu, 31 Dec 2009 17:48:36 +0000Kelly Fitzpatrickhttp://orlandosentinel3.com/lastcall/?p=311I personally don’t associate New Year’s Eve with fireworks, but I know a lot of you have been writing me trying to find out where you can find them tonight. I looked around and didn’t find a lot, but the ones I did find are below. The majority are in the theme parks with the exception of the Orange Drop on Church Street in downtown Orlando.

•Three Disney parks will be keeping late hours and featuring fireworks on New Year’s Eve. Disney’s Hollywood Studios will host “Lights, Camera, Happy New Year” fireworks at 11:55 p.m. (park closes at midnight). Epcot will have special versions of “IllumiNations” at 7:30 p.m. and 11:40 p.m. (park closes at 1 a.m.). Magic Kingdom will present “Holiday Wishes” fireworks at 8:30 p.m. and “Fantasy in the Sky” at 11:50 p.m. (park closes at 2 a.m.). More info: disneyworld.com